


Make it Right For You

by detective_giggles



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, SVU turned Baby-Sitters Club, canon typical discussions of trafficking, kids. lots of kids. but we mainly focus on one, no children were harmed in the making of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detective_giggles/pseuds/detective_giggles
Summary: SVU busts a phony adoption scam, and end up babysitting a little. Barba accidentally helps.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 104
Collections: MforPaul's Fanworks Baby Shower!





	Make it Right For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mforpaul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mforpaul/gifts).



> A/N: Eeep! I'm a little (or a lot!) late adding this to the collection. But, my friend and I wanted to include something to say Congratulations and that we are super happy for you!! 
> 
> This little fic was based on a headcanon from Thosewerethedaze (the title was her idea too, stolen from Hamilton, so... yeah...). I could not have written this without her help. Thank you to Sarahcakes613 for the beta!

The elevator doors opened and Rafael walked into Manhattan’s SVU and into absolute chaos.

Earlier in the month, SVU had been tipped off to a phony adoption scam. It took three weeks, four undercover stints, and assistance from SVU in two other Boroughs, but the trafficking ring had been taken down, the perps arrested, and the children had all been rescued. 

The children who were currently giving Manhattan’s elite detectives a run for their money. 

“Counselor, come to help?” Mike asked, juggling empty pizza boxes in one hand and a half-eaten slice in the other. 

Rafael laughed. “Just passing through!” He dodged out of the way as two children ran past him, chasing each other, with Amanda on their heels.

“Help me!” She mouthed. Rafael shrugged and let himself into Olivia’s office, shutting the door behind him. 

“Where is ACS?”

“Damage control,” Olivia replied. She was sitting on the couch in her office with a half-asleep infant in her arms. She sat an empty bottle on the table and hiked the baby up onto her shoulder, patting it gently. “We picked up three of their employees in the sting.”

Rafael let out a low whistle. “How many have lawyered up?” 

“Too many,” Olivia sighed. “Fin and Sergeant Nelson are in interrogation two with one of them, if you want to watch.”

“Maybe. Where’s Carisi?”

“Last I saw, he was reading to a bunch of kids in the break room. But that was an hour ago, so...” Rafael watched as Olivia put the baby in a car seat and picked up another child and looked around. “Can you bring me that bottle, please?” She gestured to her desk. 

Rafael grabbed the bottle and handed it over. “How many do you have in here?”

Olivia sighed, “I have the three youngest. The other dozen-ish are out there.”

“Dozen-ish?”

“Rafa, I’m losing my mind. We have 9 arrestees, fifteen kids who are all under ten, and only 6 detectives. The detectives from The Bronx SVU helped us transport the kids here and then they got the hell out of Dodge. But Nelson and his crew stuck around for the assist, so I owe them.”

“Thank God for small favors,” Rafael muttered. He looked through the observation window, watching Rita converse with her client. “Alright, what do I need to know for arraignment?” 

Olivia was silent for a moment and shrugged, “EMTs checked out all the kids. A few are malnourished, but no signs of recent physical abuse. We don’t think any of them were sexually abused. We’ve positively identified three- the older ones- we’re still trying to figure out the rest. Some of the kids don’t speak English at all. I talked with one in Russian, did what I could in Spanish, and we’re waiting on a translator for Chinese. The purple file on my desk is for you. Copies of what I have so far. Unfortunately, it’s not much. No one has been able to write their reports.”

“I won’t need them for tomorrow. Thanks, Liv. Good luck.” She scoffed as he let himself out in search of his fiancé. 

He found Sonny easily, still in the break room with a female detective he vaguely recognized from Brooklyn and more than half a dozen kids. 

“Hi, babe.”

“Hey. You doin’ okay?”

Sonny nodded and grinned, gesturing to his female counterpart, “Cassie here is the oldest of eight kids, so between the two of us, we have this under control!”

“Do you need anything?” 

“Nah. We’re good. They could prolly use an extra set of hands though.” Sonny gestured vaguely to the squad room. Rafael watched as Mike wrestled a little stuffed rodent away from one kid and tried to put it back on Amanda’s desk before she noticed.

“Not my purview, Detective. Besides, now I have nine arraignments to prep for tomorrow.”

“Well then, get to work, Counselor. And get some sleep if you can. You’re sleeping for the both of us tonight.” Sonny laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” As Rafael hurried through the squad room towards the elevator, he saw a flash of movement under Sonny’s desk. He paused and stepped back, sneaking a glance. 

He saw a young boy, probably three-ish (although Rafael really had no clue) hiding. As soon as he caught Rafael staring, he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms, drawing a laugh from the prosecutor. “I can still see you; you know?” He muttered. He looked around and didn’t see Amanda or Mike anywhere. No one seemed to notice the kid was missing, but Rafael felt like he shouldn’t leave him unattended. 

He took a deep breath and sighed as he slowly approached the boy. After spending so much time with Noah and Sonny’s niece, he had gotten better with kids, but they still kind of terrified him. They were just so darn…fragile. “Hi. I’m Rafael. Can you tell me your name?” The boy looked up silently, blinking his big, brown eyes. “What’s your name?” He tried again. The boy shivered; but said nothing.

Rafael sighed, he assumed the kid was old enough to talk, at least a little. He squatted down and tried one more time, “Me llamo Rafael. Como te llamas?”

“Gabriel.” 

Aha. Rafael smiled, “Cuanto anos tienes?” Gabriel held up three tiny fingers. “Tienes frio?” The boy nodded. Rafael reached into the drawer where he knew Sonny kept an extra sweatshirt. It would look ridiculous on the child, but it would keep him warm until Rafael could figure out something better. “Ven aqui.” 

Gabriel crawled out from under the desk and stood slowly, looking around the squad room before he walked the few feet to Rafael. Rafael helped put the hoodie on, and then attempted to roll up the sleeves a little. The bottom hem of the sweater just reached the ground, and Rafael hoped he wouldn’t trip on it. Gabriel held up his arms and Rafael picked him up, setting him on the edge of Sonny’s desk. He took a seat in Sonny’s chair and scooted a little closer, making sure Gabriel wouldn’t fall. Rafael watched as he sucked his thumb, eyes wide, although he did look a little less scared than before. 

“Estas seguro,” Rafael assured him. He paused, wondering how to explain to a three-year-old what was going on. He opted, instead, for a distraction. “Tienes hambre?” Gabriel nodded and watched as Rafael rummaged through Sonny’s desk for snacks. He successfully pulled a small package of pretzels from the mess and opened them, handing one to the child before popping a couple in his own mouth. They finished the package quickly and Rafael stood, looking around for someone to relieve him of babysitting duties. 

Gabriel held out his arms again, and Rafael picked him up, tucking Gabriel against his side. He poked Rafael in the chest, “Papi!” 

Rafael’s eyes widened in horror. “No! No soy tu padre.” 

“Si! Papi!”

 _Shit_. Rafael whirled around when he heard an amused chuckle from behind him. “Ah, Rafael, did you make a new friend? I mean, you don’t just let anyone call you _Papi_.” Sonny raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. He grinned as he watched the slightly domestic scene in front of him but deep down, his chest ached. He _wanted_ a family with Rafael. He only wished Rafael wanted the same.

Rafael tried to explain. “He only speaks Spanish... I was just trying to help... He was hiding...” his eyes were wide, nervous and pleading, _help me, please_.

Sonny laughed, “alright come on, Little Man!” He reached for Gabriel. 

“No!” He gripped Rafael’s tie in his fist. 

“I have snacks.” Sonny offered, stepping closer. Gabriel turned, burying his face in Rafael’s chest. 

“Uh, not anymore,” Rafael muttered, “We found your pretzels.”

Sonny shrugged, “You’re gonna have to hang on for a bit more. ACS just got here- they’ll get to him eventually, okay?” 

Rafael nodded and perched on the edge of the desk, holding Gabriel close. “Where is he going to go?”

“A group home, until we can figure out who he is and where he’s from. And if he was kidnapped or…”

“Don’t finish that sentence, please.” Rafael looked at the small child in his arms and sighed. 

“Rafi.”

“He’s just so little and innocent.”

“They always are.” Sonny leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Rafael’s temple. “I’ll be back, okay?” Rafael nodded. Sonny grinned, ruffled Gabriel’s hair, and disappeared down the hall.

***

Olivia sighed, “Guys, I can’t. I’m sorry. You know if I could, I would. There’s no one I would trust more than you two. But I can’t.” 

Sonny looked between his supervisor and Rafael. “We understand, Lieu. We just thought... I mean, he’s kind of attached.”

“He’ll be fine,” Olivia assured them. She stepped up to Rafael and held her arms out, “I promise, Rafa.”

Rafael nodded and attempted to hand the small boy to Olivia. “No! _Papi_!” Gabriel turned, burying his face in Rafael’s shoulder. “Papi.” He whispered, his eyes full of tears. He held onto Rafael’s shirt collar with one tiny hand, his other fist wrapped tightly around Rafael’s brightly colored tie.

“He’ll be fine.” Olivia reached out and plucked the whimpering child from Rafael’s arms. “Go.”

Rafael turned and flinched as Gabriel let out an ear-piercing shriek. “I’ll stay.” Rafael reached for Gabriel, taking him back from Olivia and held him close. Immediately, Gabriel’s cries quieted.

Sonny looked between Rafael and Olivia again, wondering if his fiancé has lost his mind. 

“You’re going to spend the night in the crib?” Olivia asked, not sure if she should be worried, impressed, or grateful. In all, there were three kids ACS hadn’t taken; two older ones and Gabriel, who wouldn’t let Rafael out of his sight. The older two were already asleep on bunks, and if Sonny stayed, maybe Olivia would be able to get home and see her own son tonight.

“Babe, are you sure?” Sonny asked softly. Rafael nodded.

Sonny slipped an arm behind Rafael, firm and supportive, on the small of his back. He turned back to Olivia with a shrug, “We’re staying.”

***

Sonny looked around and let out a little sigh. He and Rafael were sitting sideways on the bunk, shoulder-to-shoulder, with their feet hanging off the side. Gabriel was curled up on Rafael’s other side, sleeping with his tiny thumb stuffed in his mouth. Sonny watched as every so often, Gabriel would whimper and Rafael would reach out, rubbing small, gentle circles on his back until he quieted again.

Both men had dozed off and on for a few minutes at a time, but neither was able to get any quality sleep. Sonny turned, finally, and patted Rafael’s thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Why him?” 

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

“Rafi, we had fifteen kids running amok in the squad room. Why him?”

“Eleven,” Rafael corrected.

“What?”

“You had eleven kids running amok in the squad room, because he was hiding under your desk. And three were too young to run.”

“Okay, fine, eleven kids. Why him?”

Rafael was silent for a long moment. “He has a scar... on his right shoulder...” he said it quietly, almost conversationally. He reached down and carefully adjusted the scratchy wool blanket covering Gabriel. 

“I hadn’t noticed,” Sonny murmured. As he spoke, his fingers traveled up Rafael’s bicep to his shoulder. Sonny had seen it enough, even with Rafael’s shirt on, he knew exactly where the offending mark was. “And he reminds you of...you?”

Rafael sighed and nodded. Sonny’s hand was warm and comforting on his shoulder and he leaned against him, allowing Sonny to wrap his arms around him. 

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while. Rafael felt Gabriel shift and sit up, confused. He sniffled and opened his mouth and Rafael scooped him up before he could cry and wake the other kids. “Hey buddy... it’s okay... ven aqui... Esta bien...” 

Rafael cradled the boy against his chest and gently smoothed his hair. Sonny listened, smiling, as Rafael sang softly in Spanish until Gabriel fell asleep again. Sonny squeezed Rafael a little tighter. It was comfortable; the quintessential family moment Sonny had dreamed of most of his life.

“Rafi, if you truly don’t want kids, I understand. But if you don’t want them because you think you’ll be a bad father; I think you’re wrong.”

“I-” Rafael hesitated, “Sonny, we-”

“No pressure, Rafael.” Sonny whispered, shrugging, “I mean, who knows, there might be a family out there who wants this little guy.”

Rafael shook his head and swallowed hard. “I can’t. I wouldn’t even know how.”

Sonny snorted, “You think I do? We would figure it out, Rafael. Together.” He paused, “Look, Rafi, I’m not looking to run and sign papers today, but I’d really like it if you would think about it?”

Rafael nodded slowly, “Yeah. I’ll think about it.” 

*** Two Years Later ***

“Papi!” Gabriel ran into the kitchen and skidded to a stop in front of Rafael. “Puedo tomar una galleta, por favor?”

“A cookie?” Rafael exclaimed, “What would your dad say?”

Gabriel dropped his gaze to the floor. “Not until after dinner,” he mumbled. 

Sonny rolled his eyes and made a big show of turning towards the stove, stirring the sauce simmering in the pot. Rafael grabbed a still-warm cookie off the rack and handed it to Gabriel. “Shhhh!” He winked.

“Gracias, Papi!” 

“At the table, not your bedroom!” Sonny reminded, handing him a napkin. Gabriel walked out of the kitchen, munching happily and Rafael stepped up behind Sonny, tucking his hand in Sonny’s back pocket. Sonny turned, wrapping his arms around Rafael’s waist and leaning in to give him a kiss on the forehead. “Well, Mr. Barba-Carisi...” he murmured.

“Yes, Mr. Barba-Carisi?”

“This time next week, he will legally be Gabriel Barba-Carisi, our son.”

Rafael smiled, “Legally, yes. But he’s always been our son.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> All spanish was from Google, so if anything is seriously off, please let me know and I'll fix it ASAP!


End file.
